Sacramento-California Watch, a nonprofit and independent investigative reporting team, published on May 13 on its website a lengthy story alleging that nitrate contamination of groundwater is spreading in California due to “lax regulatory efforts.” The story cites nitrogen fertilizer use on farmland, animal manure, wastewater treatment plants, and leaky septic systems as the causes, claiming that the number of wells that exceeded the health limit for nitrates jumped from nine in 1980 to 648 in 2007. “Nothing is being done to regulate the use of the leading source of nitrate pollution in many regions of the state – nitrogen fertilizer,” the story states, claiming nitrate levels in groundwater are at their highest in the southern Central Valley, eastern San Joaquin Valley, Imperial Valley, and Salinas Valley. “Farmers and companies are urged not to degrade groundwater but are mostly left to employ voluntary strategies to comply.” The story says a number of strategies have been considered to combat the nitrate problem, including installing mandatory groundwater-monitoring wells on farms or establishing stricter regulations for fertilizer use, but regulators instead are focused on other more pressing water quality issues in the state. “On the scale of things we deal with, while nitrates is certainly a concern and we’re managing for it, I don’t rank it high up there as something that makes me stay awake at night,” Darrin Polhemus, deputy director of the State Water Resources Control Board’s division of water quality, is quoted as saying. That sentiment was echoed by Rich Cornett, director of communications for the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA). “There is no regulation being considered,” Cornett told Green Markets. “Yeah it’s a problem, but nothing is being done at the present time, and there are so many other problems that California is tackling right now. Nitrates in groundwater isn’t topping the list at this point.” Cornett said WPHA is focusing on the problem, however, noting that WPHA President and CEO Renee Pinel will be attending a meeting on the issue in early June. “We will have an official industry response within the next three weeks,” Cornett said.

Albany, N.Y.-New York state is committing $500,000 to a new grant program aimed at helping farmers control runoff of phosphorus and other nutrients and prevent them from entering the southern end of Lake Champlain. The funds Attorney General Andrew Cuomo secured in a court-ordered settlement with American Electric Power will assist farmers in the Southern Champlain Valley to further improve operations and reduce stormwater discharges from their land. “This important investment in New York’s future will help sustain the Champlain Valley’s agricultural economy while preserving one of the state’s most majestic natural resources,” said Cuomo. “By dedicating these funds, we will help support local farmers who are working to improve their operations while being responsible stewards of the environment.” The funding is expected to be used by farmers to better control stormwater runoff from plowed fields, milk houses, manure storage areas, and barnyards; develop nutrient management plans that help avoid applying excess fertilizers to farmlands; and preserve buffers of vegetation that serve to intercept and remove nutrients from runoff before they reach the lake. Dean Norton, president of the New York Farm Bureau, said, “We are grateful to Attorney General Cuomo for making funds available to our farmers to bolster the efforts they are already taking to protect the precious waters of Lake Champlain. We commend the Attorney General for helping our family farms.”

Carteret, N.J.-Prime Lube, one of the largest distributors of lubricants and anti-freeze in the Mid-Atlantic, is entering the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) market, partnering with Germany’s Kruse Group to produce and distribute BlueSky DEF in 12 states, the District of Columbia, and two Canadian provinces. As part of the arrangement, Kruse will provide Prime Lube with the manufacturing equipment and automotive grade urea to produce BlueSky DEF for sale to Prime Lube’s fuel and lubricant distributor network throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Prime Lube will begin production of BlueSky DEF in June. The company is already distributing Kruse-manufactured DEF. A series of 20-minute introductory sessions was presented to the fleet management industry at the energy expo last month in Atlantic City.

Warrenville, Ill.-Navistar International Corp. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have reached an agreement resolving Navistar’s appeal in federal courts over the agency allowing SCR-equipped diesel trucks to operate for extended periods without NOx emissions control and certifying SCR engines as meeting NOx emission requirements when they do not. According to Navistar, EPA has promised to hold a public workshop or hearing on those policies, which the agency was accused of adopting without the required public process in reliance on input from SCR engine makers. The agreement provides that EPA will “engage in a public process to reexamine its policies for future 2011 and later model year engines,” during which it will “provide a thorough review of EPA’s policies regarding operation of SCR-equipped engines.” EPA also has promised to “ensure, among other things, that SCR-equipped heavy duty diesel engines are designed to properly control emissions as required under applicable regulations.” Navistar had asked the United States Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to void those polices because of the irregularities in their adoption.

Columbia, S.C.-Riverbanks Zoo and Garden officials say it’s a great way to take a load off by selling for use as fertilizer composted droppings trademarked “comPOOst” produced by the elephants, giraffes, and zebras. “By taking a virtually unusable waste product and turning it into something that is beneficial to Riverbanks, the community, and the environment, we are being good stewards of the earth,” said John Davis, curator of mammals and manager of the comPOOst operation. May 1 was the first day of sale, but gardeners were able to pre-order online, and pint-size and two-gallon buckets will be available on the plant carts at the zoo and garden entrances throughout the year. “The first sale was a trial run, and we hope to host bulk sales at least four times per year,” said Davis. He said the comPOOsting process takes about three months, producing approximately 1,500 pounds each day for the comPOOst pile, 75 percent of which comes from Riverbanks’ four African elephants.

Washington-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tightened restrictions for aluminum and magnesium phosphate products after the deaths of two young sisters in Utah in February. EPA is now requiring clearer label directions and precautions and is strictly prohibiting the chemicals’ use in residential areas in phosphine fumigants, which are highly toxic pesticides and should be handled only by specially trained pesticide applicators. The products must only be used outdoors for control of burrowing pests, and only on agricultural areas, orchards, non-crop areas, golf courses, athletic fields, parks and recreational areas, cemeteries, airports, rights-of-way, earthen dams, and other non-residential sites. Products must not be applied in a burrow system that is within 100 feet of a building that is or may be occupied by people or domestic animals. This buffer zone had previously been 15 feet.